Latera is a village in a more remote area of northern Lazio, right on the shores of Lago di Bolsena and not far from the border with Tuscany. This is where Massimo Antonuzi and Patrizia Montanari found some near-forgotten small vineyard parcels, and started making wine in 2015 as Cantina Ortaccio. Massimo and Patrizia used to run a wine shop in Rome, but decided to forego the hustle and bustle for a more solitary life in the vineyards.

‘Remarkable’ seems too tepid a word to describe the various aspects of what mother nature has offered them here. Firstly, the old vines (planted in both Latera and nearby Gradoli), are more than 70 years old and are from un-grafted piedi-franco rootstock. They also planted some new vines in 2019. Grape varieties are traditional and heirloom varieties from the area - Trebbiano, Procanico, Malvasia, Sangiovese, Greghetto and Ciliegiolo. These were vines that the local elders no longer tended to, and Massimo and Patrizia were able to revive them before they were either destroyed, or re-planted with “international” varieties (the land here is still relatively cheap, despite its enormous potential). Also, they are located on truly volcanic terroir, between 400 and 550 meters above sea level. Soils are a mixture of tuff, sand and volcanic rock fragments (Lago di Bolsena is a deep lake of volcanic origin, which had its last eruption ~ 100,000 years ago). Consequently, the mineral content in the soil an abundant gift, though lacking in organic matter, therefore the vines have to “suffer” a little more, but the resulting wines effortlessly express their unique terroir. They farm using biodynamic principles, but are not certified.

Their cellar is an incredible tunnel descending directly into the tufo, where they are able to maintain a constant temperature of 12 degrees celsius, to help keep the wines stable without the use of temperature control. Grapes are de-stemmed by hand and foot-crushed before fermentation in fiberglass containers using only native yeast and no additions of sulfur. Wines are generally aged in re-worked oak and chestnut barrels for a minimum of 12 months before bottling and further aging.

This is an exciting new producer, with a laser-like commitment towards reviving this inspiring region, that understands the symbiosis of hard work and good research. They also happen to make tremendous wines that, up until now, were virtually impossible to find outside of Rome. We hope you get the chance to try them!

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